What is the Environmental Crisis in
Libya, it's history and future?
Libya: Rich in Oil,
Poor in Nearly Everything Else
Rich in oil but poor in water, the environmental challenges
Libya faces will not be eliminated by improved diplomatic
relations with the United States. As the first U.S. Ambassador
to be appointed to Libya in decades arrives in the country in
January, the grave environmental dilemma facing the nation must
be addressed. Analysts believe that Libya was the first country
in the world to run out of water in the mid 1970’s.
Libya, one of the
richest and fourth largest African countries does not have one
permanent river. Before General Qaddafi began construction on
the largest water pipe line in the world, the country depended
solely on wells and a few desalination plants. In an effort to
alleviate Libya’s crisis, Qaddafi is building an enormous water
pipeline. The pipeline supplies just Tripoli alone with 2.5
million cubic meters of water a day. The water comes from a
vast underground basin, which lies beneath the Sahara. Qaddafi
along with most Libyan’s believed the water pipeline was the
most viable solution. But, no one knows the environmental side
effects on water tables in agricultural areas or the oasis in
the Sahara. Moreover, some scientists believe that these
underground wells may be drained in 50 years.
This situation has
alarmed Sudan and Egypt. The two nations are concerned over the
threat of the depletion of heir own underground water supplies.
As Libya emerges as a global player, which is fueled by oil
executive’s belief that it is the richest oil exploration
country in the world, one needs to look at the long-term impacts
of tapping the country’s oil reserves. Libya’s high quality
crude oil is much sought after and only 25% of the country has
been prospected. But the question of Libya’s future is
amplified further as oil accounts for 95% the country’s
exports.. Thus the threat of economic collapse after the
cessation of oil and the task of diversifying is urgent. Once
thought to be the next Dubai, what will happen to Libya; a
country rich in oil but poor in nearly everything else?
Environmental Facts
*Rich in oil, poor in water
*95% of Libyan territory is covered by desert
*It has been 8,000 years since the last consistent rainfall
*4th largest African country has only one navigable river
*1970’s Libya was facing an unprecedented crisis some analyst
believe that Libya which relied solely on wells and a few token
desalination plants, may have become the first country in the
world to run out of water
*Colonel Qaddafi’s solution was to tap the vast underground
basin with the sandstone shelves the lie beneath the Sahara.
*Libya depends completely on fossil fuels
*No one knows the environmental side effects on water tables in
agricultural areas on the oasis of the Sahara
*Money spent on first stage could have been used for funding for
5 desalination plants
*Neighboring Sudan and Egypt have weighed in concerned over the
threat of their own underground water supplies
*It is possible that the underground water supplies may be
exhausted in 50 years
*Most Libyan’s believe that there was not choice but to build
the water pipeline
*Libyan’s remember how the Crown Prince of Dubai visited Libya
in the early 1970’s and marveled at what he saw; openly hoping
that Dubai may one day reach Libya’s level
*Libya rose from one of the poorest countries to one of the
richest in 50 years
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